Furniture construction



March 6, 1951 l. SILVERMAN FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 20, 1947 INVENTOR ISaaZor Silverman W 1 hit.

ATTORNE March 6, 1951 l. SILVERMAN FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 20, 1947 INVENTOR Isador Silverman ATTORNEYS March 6, 1951 l. SILVERMAN 2,543,875

FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 20, 1947 a Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Fig. 1H Isa/0Z0? silvermam ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. V 6, 1951 UNITED STATESQPATENT OFFICE 2,543,875 FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Isador Silver-man, Cleveland, Ohio I Application October 20, 1947, Serial No.v 780,836

8; Claims. 1

This invention relates to articles of furniture and particularly to easy chairs and davenports manufactured from interfitting pieces of rigid sheet material.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide various articles of furniture constructed from slotted members that are easily assembled and disassembled and yet which have great strength and rigidity when assembled;

Another object is to provide articles of furniture that may be inexpensively manufactured; by mass production methods;

Still another object is to provide articles of furniture composed of parts that occupy a smallspace when disassembled so that the expense of shipping is materially reduced.

Further objects and, advantages will become apparent from the following description and on examination of the accompanying drawing in which like numerals refer to like parts.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective drawing of an easy chair built according to this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line indicated at 2--2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of one of the supporting members of the chair;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the back member of the chair;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the seat of the chair;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the shelf member of the chair;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line indicated at T-'I in Fig. 2' showing Fig. 12 is an elevation of the intermediate supporting member of the davenport;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary elevation showing how the seat and shelf fit into the back member;

Fig. 14 is a bottom plan view of" one of the two arm-rests of the chair;

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line indicated by I5--I5 in Fig". 9 showing" 1 bracing member.

Furniture embodying this invention can be made in several forms or designs developed to provide attractive pieces that are relatively inexpensive and suitable for use in the home and ofii'ce and especially suitable for use in summer cottages and the like.

In the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1 to 9" show an easy chair embodying the inventionthat comprises five main parts or members,

namely, two identical supporting members I such how the arm-rest fits on the supporting member;

the davenport;

as shown in Fig. 3, a back member 2' shown in Fig. 4, a seat member 3 shown in Fig. 5, and a shelf 4 shown in Fig. 6-.

The supporting members I are preferably substantially rectangular in shape with a substantially straight top edge 5 and front and rear edges 6 and I of suitable configuration. As shown in Fig. 3, the edges 6 and I are straight, the top rear corner is rounded, and the rear edge I has a slight downward and outward divergence from the vertical. Each member I has an elongated, substantially horizontal slot 8 extending rearwardly from the front edge 6, which receives the seat member 3 and serves to position the seat member. Each member I has in addition an elongated back slot 9 extending downwardly from the top edge near the rear end thereof which receives the back member 2 and serves. to position it, the slot 9 being preferably positioned at a slight inclination to the vertical to give a rearward slant to the back member 2. Each member I also has a substant'ially horizontal slot I0 extending forwardly from the rear edge near the bottom thereof which receives the shelf 4 and serves to position the shelf.

The back member 2. is of generally rectangular shape, as shown in Fig. 4, and rests in the supporting members at a slight rearward inclination as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The member 2 is provided with slots II extending upwardly from its bottom edge, the sides of which en-' gage opposite faces of. the supporting members I when the back member 2 is positioned in the downwardly extending. slots 9 in the supporting members I The back member 2 also has an elongated horizontal recess or slot I3 at the level of the rear edge of the seat member 3 to receive a rear edge portion of the seat member and another lower horizontal recess or slot I4 at the level of the shelf member 4 to receive a front edge portion of the shelf member. These horizontal recesses in the back member are cut at the same angle with the plane of the back member as the seat and shelf members make with the back member in the assembled chair. The recesses may be slots through from one face to the other or merely indentations in the face of the back member. The back member may also have recesses I adjacent opposite edges of its front face that are alined with the recess I3 and recesses I6 adjacent opposite edges of its rear face that are alined with the recess I4.

The seat member 3 fits in the slots 8 in the supporting members I and is preferably at a slight backward inclination as shown. The member 3 is substantially rectangular in shape and its front edge I1 is preferably provided with rounded corners. The member 3 has slots I8 that extend forwardly from its rear edge substantially parallel to the side edges thereof, in which portions of the supporting members fit. The rear edge of the seat member I is provided between the slots I8 with a wide tongue I9 which fits into the recess I3 in the back member and with seating portions 20 that bear against the bottoms of recesses I5. The seat fits in the slots 8 of the supporting members I, the slots I8 of the seat receive portions of the supporting member rearwardly of the slots 8, and the tongue I9 and side portions 2| of the seat member fit into their recesses I3 and I5 in the back member and serve to lock the back member against movement with respect to the supporting member.

As shown in Fig. 6, the shelf 4 has slots 22 near its side edges extending rearwardly from its front edge and substantially parallel to its side edges. edge of the member is formed to provide an extending portion or tongue 23 which fits into the recess I4 in the back member and portions 2.4 of said front edge outwardly of the tongue 23 fit into the recesses IS in the rear face of the back member. The shelf fits into the slots II) of the supporting members and portions of the supporting members forwardly of the slots I6 are received in the slots 22 of the shelf member. The tongue 23 and side portions 24 fitting into their respective recesses I4 and I6 serve to lock the back member against movement with respect to the supporting member.

If desired, an arm rest 26 may be provided on the top edges 5 of each supporting member I and each arm rest 26 has an elongated slot 2'! to receive the top edge of the member I. As shown.

in Figs. 1 and 2, the rear end of each arm rest engages the front face of the back member2 A davenport embodying the invention is shown in Figs. 9 to 19 of the drawing and is composed of two identical end supporting members Ia; such as shown'in Fig. 11, an intermediate supporting member 3| shown in Fig. 12, a back member 2a (Fig. 16), a seat member 3a (Fig. .17), a

shelf member 4a (Fig. 18), and a lengthwise bracing member 32 (Fig. 19).

The end supporting members Ia are substan- Intermediate the slots 22 the front tially rectangular with a rear edge 33 that is preferably inclined at a small angle to the vertical as shown in Fig. 11. Each member Ia has an elongated slot 34 extending rearwardly from its front edge which may be horizontal or at a slight inclination to the horizontal as shown and these slots of the supporting members serve to position the seat member 3a. In addition, the members Iaeach have an elongated slot 35 extending downwardly from their top edge near the rear thereof and these slots of the supporting members serve to position the back member 2a. Each member also has a substantially horizontal slot 36 extending forwardly from its rear edge near the bottom thereof and these slots of the members Ia serve to position the shelf member 4a. A slot 38 extends upwardly from the bottom edge of each member Ia and these slots 34 serve to position the'bracing member 32.

The intermediate supporting member 3| as shown in Fig. 10 is positioned between the supporting members Ia and supports the seat member 3a on its top edge 4| and has an upright back bracing extension 42, the front edge 43 of which engages the rear face of the back member 2a. Extending forwardly from its rear edge, the intermediate supporting member has a substantially horizontal shelf receiving slot 45 in which the shelf member 4a fits and extending upwardly from the bottom of the member 3| there is a slot 46 in which the bracing member 32 fits. The intermediate supporting member also has a small recess 41 at the rear of top edge 4I into which recess a portion of the back member 2a fits.

The back member 2a as shown in Fig. 16 is rectangularly shaped with rounded corners on the upper edge. Two slots 48 near opposite ends of the member 2a extend upwardly from its bottom edge parallel to its end edges and receive portions of the end supporting members Ia below the lower ends of their slots 35. A slot 49 extends upwardly from the bottom edge intermediate the two slots 48 and receives a portion of the intermediate supporting member 3| below the recess.4I, the two slots 48 and the slot 49 serving to position and brace the end and intermediate supporting members. The back member 29 has two alined elongated horizontal slots 59 adapted to receive rear edge portions 54 of the seat member 3a and the back member has elongated horizontal slots 5I below the slots which aline with the front edge of the shelf member 4a. In addition, the back member 2a has recesses 52 in its rear face at the ends thereof which are in alinement with the recesses 5| and recesses 53 in its front face which extend from the outer ends of the slots 59 to the end edges ofthe back member.

The rear edge of the seat member 3a is formed to provide two wide tongue portions 54 that fit in the slots 59 of the back member 211, an intermediate recessed seating portion 55 that engages the front face of the track member between the slots 59, and outer less deeply recessed seating portions 56 that engage in the recesses 53 of the back member. 7

The seat member has two slots 51 extending forwardly from the seating portions 56 and parallel to the side edges thereof which receive portions of theend supporting members I a rearwardly of their slots 35.

As shown in Fig. 18, the shelf 4a is a rectangular piece with two end slots 58 and an intermediate slot 59 extending rearwardly from its front edge and substantially at right angles thereto. The slots 58 receive portions of the end supporting members ta, forwardly of their slots 36 and the slot 59' receives portions of the intermediate supporting member forwardly of the slot 4'5 thereof. The front edge of the shelf member 4a is'formed with wide tongues 60 on opposite sides of the slot 59 that fit into the horizontal slots 5 inthe back member, seating portions 6| that engage the rear face of the back member 2 betweenthe inner ends of the slots 5|, seat portions 62 that engage the bottoms of recesses 52, and side portions 63 that fit in the recesses 52 of the back member as shown in Fig. 13.

The bracing member 32, as shown in Fig. 19, is a relatively narrow rectangular piece with two vertical slots 64 extending downwardly from its top edge near the ends thereof and a, similar intermediate vertical slot 65. The bracing member 32 fits in the slots 38 and 4B of the end and intermediate supporting members and the slots 64 receive portions of the end supporting mem bers above their slots 38, and the slot 65 receives portions of the intermediate supporting member above its slot 46. I

The davenport may be provided with cushions 29a and a similar to the chair cushions 29 and 30 and with arm rests 26a, identical with the chair arm rests 26 and provided with slots 21a to receive the end supporting members and with recesses 28a to accommodate the back cushion 29a.

The furniture pieces described are preferably made of plywood, stained, painted or varnished as desired. In addition to wood, cardboard, paperboard, sheet plastic or metallic sheet can be employed to make articles of furniture embodying the invention.

After assembly, the interfitted slotted members, if of wood, can be glued, nailed, or doweled together. If the members are formed of metallic sheets the members can be welded or brazed after assembly. If the members are formed of a plastic they may be permanently joined with a cement suitable for the particular plastic. It is not, however, essential that the members be permanently secured together.

The knockdown construction is advantageous because, when disassembled, the pieces fit into a compact fiat package which is easily stored or shipped and are not readily damaged.

The construction of the present invention can also be used in manufacturing miniature pieces of furniture for childrens toys. Small chairs and sofas can be made which are inexpensive, which are easily assembled and disassembled by children.

It will be understood that numerous modificatlons of the construction herein shown may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An article of furniture comprising laterally spaced upright supporting members each having an elongated substantially horizontal slot extending rearwardly from its front edge, an elongated slot extending downwardly from its top edge near the rear end thereof, and a sub stantially horizontal sl-ot extending forwardly from its rear edge near the bottom thereof, a back member fitting in said downwardly extending slots of the supporting members and provided with upwardly extending slots to receive portions of the supporting members below the downwardly extending slots thereof, said back a member having a horizontal recess in its front face and a horizontal recess in its rear face below the level of the first mentioned recess, a seat member having elongated slots extending forwardly from its rear edge to receive portions of the supporting member to the rear of their rearwardly extending slots and portions forward of said seatmember slots that fit in the rearwardly extending slots of the supporting members, said seat member having rear edge portions: engaging in said horizontal recess in the front face of the back member, and a, shelf member having elongated slots extending rearwardly from its front edge to receive portions of the supporting members forward of their forwardly extending slots and portions rearward of said slots that fit in the forwardly extending slots of the supporting members, said shelf member having forward edge portions engaging in said horizontal recess in the rear face of the back member.

2. An article of furniture such as defined in claim 1 in which said supporting members, back member, seat member and shelf member are each formed of sheet material and are of uniform thickness.

3. An article of furniture'such as defined in claim 1 in which the back member has recesses in its front face to receive portions of the rear edge of the seat member disposed outwardly of the slots of the seat member and in which the back member has recesses in its rear face to receive portions of the front edge of the shelf member disposed outwardly of the slots of the shelf member.

4. An article of furniture such as defined in claim 1 including two arm-rest members slotted lengthwise and fit on the top edge of each supporting member.

5. An article of furniture comprising laterally spaced substantially identical upright supporting members, each having an elongated slot extending rearwardly from its front edge and an elongated slot extending downwardly from its top edge near the rear end thereof, a back member fitting in said downwardly extending slots of the supporting members and having upwardlying extending slots to receive portions of the supporting members below the downwardly extending slots thereof, said back member having a horizontal recess in its front face, and a seat member fitting in said rearwardly extending slots of said supporting members and having slots extending forwardly from its rear edge to receive portions of said supporting members to the rear of the rearwardly extending slots thereof, said seat member having a rear edge portion fitting in said horizontal recess in the front face of said back member.

6. An article of furniture such as defined in claim 5, in which said supporting members, said back member and said seat member are each formed of sheet material and of uniform thickness.

'7. An article of furniture such as defined in claim 5, in which the rearwardly extending slots of the supporting members are inclined rearwardly and downwardly at a slight inclination to the horizontal, and said downwardly extending slots of the supporting member are inclined downwardly and forwardly at an inclination tothe vertical. 7

8. An article of furniture comprising laterally spaced upright supporting members, each having an elongated slot extending rearwardly from its front edge and an elongated slot extending downwardly from its top edge near the rear end thereof, an intermediate supporting member having a top edge substantially in the plane of the bottoms of the rearwardly extending slots of said end supporting members and an upward extension at its rear end provided with a front edge substantially parallel to the rear sides of the downwardly extending slots of said end supporting members, a back member fitting in the downwardly extending slots of the end supporting members and having slots extending upwardly from its bottom edge to receive portions of said upporting members below the said downwardly extending slots, a longitudinal bracing member joined to said end and intermediate supporting member forwardly of said back member and having a top edge flush with the bottoms of the rearwardly extending slots of the end supporting member and with the top edge of the intermediate supporting member, and a seat member fitting in said rearwardly extending slots of said end supporting members and having slots to receive portions of the end supporting members beyond the ends of the rearwardly extending slots thereof, said seat member resting on the top edges of the intermediate supporting member and bracing member.

ISADOR SILVERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,735,851 Burton Nov. 19, 1929 1,747,900 Jenny Feb. 18, 1930 

